(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall issue a series of special commemorative motor vehicle license plates for use by the owner on his private passenger motor vehicle for the purposes of the "Nongame Wildlife and Natural Areas Fund" provided in Section 50-1-280. The special fee for the commemorative license plate is thirty dollars and this amount must be placed in the fund. This fee is in addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fee set forth in Article 5, Chapter 3 of Title 56. The commemorative plate must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates and must be imprinted with the words "South Carolina Protects Endangered Species". The plates must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period, which expires twenty-four months from the month they are issued. Once the plate supply is exhausted, any revenues derived from a renewal or transfer of a "South Carolina Protects Endangered Species" plate must be distributed as directed in this subsection.
(B) The department shall issue a collection of special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger carrying motor vehicles and motorcycles. The fee for each special license plate is thirty dollars every two years in addition to the regular motor vehicle license fee set forth in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title. Each special license plate must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates, and must be imprinted with the words "South Carolina Wildlife". Each special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month the special license plate is issued.
(C) Of the fees collected pursuant to this section, the Comptroller General shall place into the State Highway Fund as established by Section 57-11-20, to be distributed as provided in Section 11-43-167, an amount equal to the expenses of the department in producing and administering this special license plate collection. The remaining funds collected from each special motor vehicle license plate fee must be deposited in the Game Protection Fund provided for in Title 50.
(D) The department simultaneously may make available more than one special license plate. However, before the department produces and distributes a special license plate with the South Carolina Wildlife collection pursuant to this section, it must comply with the provisions contained in Section 56-3-8100.
HISTORY: 1993 Act No. 156, Section 1; 1995 Act No. 115, Section 1; 1996 Act No. 459, Section 174; 2008 Act No. 353, Section 2, Pt 8C.1, eff July 1, 2008; 2009 Act No. 79, Section 2.A, eff June 16, 2009; 2016 Act No. 275 (S.1258), Section 43, eff July 1, 2016.